U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is announcing her support for the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2014, continuing her fight to protect hunting and fishing rights and promoting increased access to more public lands for outdoor recreation.
“This bill represents Missouri values and traditions like hunting, fishing, and protecting our state’s outdoor heritage,” McCaskill said. “This is an opportunity to fulfill our obligation to our kids and grandkids, by making sure they have the same opportunities to enjoy our state’s great outdoors as we did.”
The Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act combines 12 different measures, all aimed at preserving hunting and fishing rights, renewing conservation programs, and promoting access to public lands for outdoor recreation.
Among its provisions, this legislation would require the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service to promote hunting and angling opportunities on federal lands, allow duck hunting permits to be sold online, and reauthorize certain conservation measures such as the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Additionally, the bill permanently prevents the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating hunting ammo and fishing tackle under the Toxic Substances Control Act, and will aid the development of new shooting ranges on public land.
This legislation is endorsed by sportsman and the conservation communities, including the Congressional Sportsmen’s Federation, Ducks Unlimited, the National Wildlife Federation, Trout Unlimited, Safari Club, and the National Wild Turkey Federation.
Northwest Missouri State University will host a variety of events during March to highlight the achievements of women and commemorate Women’s History Month.
This year’s events take on the theme of “Celebrating Women of Character, Courage and Commitment.” The month includes interactive activities, a video presentation, panel discussions and lectures.
The women’s history events are organized by students under the supervision of Jamie Campbell, a political science lecturer; Dr. Elyssa Ford, assistant professor of history; and Steve Bryant, director of intercultural affairs. The events are sponsored by the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Office of Intercultural Affairs. All events are free and open to the public.
“When celebrating Women’s History Month in the past, faculty have organized the events,” Campbell said. “This year, Dr. Ford and I thought it would be good to get the students involved and let the students organize the events, really take ownership and let them be invested in Women’s History Month. We thought the students would be able to reach out and get their fellow students to come to the events, too.”
The month’s events begin Monday, March 3, with “Celebrate Influential Women” from 10 to 11 a.m. in Valk Center. Northwest students and employees are invited to write a note about a woman who has shown courage, commitment or character. The activity will be repeated Monday, March 10, and Monday, March 17 at the same time and location.
Students have planned “Women in the Military” 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 4, 11 and 18, in the J.W. Jones Student Union. Participants will write thank you notes to women who are serving in the military.
A panel discussion about “International Women’s Education” will be 7 to 8 p.m., Thursday, March 6, in Room 40 Valk Center. The discussion, led by a panel of Northwest students and faculty, will focus on women’s education.
“Women’s Health Issues” will be 6 to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 11, in the Student Union Living Room. The documentary “Half the Sky” will be shown and a discussion about women’s health issues will follow.
Women’s History Presentation, in conjunction with the “Celebration of Quality” will be 3:15 to 4:15 p.m., Friday, March 14, in Meeting Room A of the Student Union.
As a part of the Student Activities Council’s SAC Speaks series, Tierney Cahill will give a lecture 7 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, March 18, in the Student Union Ballroom. Cahill is a sixth-grade teacher in Reno, Nev. who ran for a Congress to teach her students how elections and the government work.
Throughout the month, the Northwest community also can view biography cards of women displayed at dining locations in the Student Union and Valk Center.
National Women’s History Month was founded in 1987 when the U.S. Congress declared that it be celebrated during March in perpetuity. A presidential proclamation is issued annually to honor the achievements of American women. For more information about the national celebration, visit http://www.nwhp.org/.
Manhattan–On Friday, February 28th, around 3:13 p.m. the Riley County Police Department received a call from an individual reporting that they had discovered a body in the water, in the Tuttle Cove area of Tuttle Creek Lake.
The Riley County Police Department responded and upon arrival confirmed that a body was in the water and appeared to be deceased. The Riley County Police Department, along with the Riley County Emergency Management, Riley County EMS, Tuttle Creek Corps of Engineers and the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office were on scene and retrieved the body from the water.
A coroner was summoned and after arrival pronounced that the body recovered from the water was deceased. Although much of the lake is frozen, the body was located in an area of thawed water that extended a short distance from the shore.
The deceased individual was taken to the Kansas City area for an autopsy by a Forensic Pathologist. The identity of the deceased individual is being withheld pending positive identification and notification of next of kin.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The serving size listed on that pint of ice cream is based on the belief that you’re only going to eat half a cup.
Sure you are.
The government knows you’re not really going to stop there. So the new nutrition labels that have been proposed today for ice cream and lots of other popular foods are aimed partly at being more realistic — reflecting what you really eat.
The estimated serving size for ice cream jumps from a half cup to a cup — so the calorie listing on the label would double as well.
The proposal would also make the calorie counts on the labels more prominent, reflecting that nutritionists now focus more on calories than on fat.
And for the first time, the labels would have to list any sugars that are added by manufacturers.
Michelle Obama made the announcement of the new labeling recommendations as part of her Let’s Move initiative to fight childhood obesity.
But the new labels are probably several years away. The Food and Drug Administration will take comments on the proposal for 90 days, and a final rule could take another year. And then, the agency might give food producers two years to comply.
The agency believes it will cost those companies a total of about $2 billion to revise labels.
Approximate location of the crash near Lathrop on Friday
A woman was injured in a Friday crash in Clinton County when her car hit a tree.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports a 2004 Chevy Tahoe driven by Kali A. Shaffer, 25, of Lathrop was eastbound on 248th Road. 2 miles east of Lathrop, and traveled off the south side of the road, returned to the road and then traveled off the north side of the road. The vehicle then traveled across a pasture and struck a large cottonwood tree. Shaffer was transported to the hospital in Liberty.
The MSHP said she was not wearing a seat belt.
(AP) – Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has given the go-ahead to spend $132 million on improvements to the Capitol and other state facilities.
Nixon had put a hold on the money when the 2014 budget took effect last July. The governor said Friday he’s releasing the money because of an improving economy.
The money includes $28.5 million for repairs at the state Capitol, which has been plagued by water leaks, and $12.5 million for improvements at state parks.
It also includes $38 million for the design and construction of a state office building and the renovation of the Missouri Department of Transportation headquarters. Lawmakers had envisioned a new building. Nixon’s administration plans to instead use the money to renovate existing facilities.
A consultant has recommended improvements to the Regional Health Care Initiative, which includes a number of committees, including the one on mental health- Photo by Mike Sherry
By Mike Sherry
KHI News
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Leaders of an initiative aimed at coordinating and expanding healthcare services for the region’s poor need to sharpen its focus and do a better job measuring results, according to a review by an outside consultant.
The Regional Health Care Initiative, operates through the Mid-America Regional Council. Major funding has come through the REACH Healthcare Foundation in Merriam and the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City in Kansas City, Mo.
The two foundations launched the initiative in 2007 and hired Health Management Associates of Lansing, Mich. to evaluate its progress.
Officials released the results of the review at a meeting here Monday. About 30 people were present including safety net officials that had been interviewed as part of the review.
‘Some successes, some missed opportunities’
“This is a story of some successes and some missed opportunities,” said Bill Moore, vice president of program, policy and evaluation for REACH.
The consultant tallied nearly $8 million in funding for the initiative since its start, including some from outside the foundations. The outside dollars were for a program intended to increase evening and weekend access to clinics that serve low-income patients and those without health insurance.
According to the report, the initiative “lacks a unifying strategic plan.”
Consultants told the group that members of various committees were unclear how their work fit within the initiative’s overall direction.
Their report suggested a plan be made to choose priorities based on anticipated results.
The consultants also found:
Results “have not been sufficiently measured or documented.”
Materials produced by the various committees of the initiative have had “varying levels of impact” within the community.
Differences in state policy and funding in Kansas and Missouri hindered cross-border coordination.
Moore said he considered the lack of outcomes data one of the biggest missed opportunities of the initiative. He said that finding highlighted the importance of evaluating all the programs the foundations fund.
Gaylee Morgan, a principal with the consulting firm, said interviewers heard a lot of anecdotes about how this committee or that committee had achieved success.
“We just didn’t have the data to be able to substantiate and say, this is the impact on access, this is the impact on coordination and quality,” she said.
Evaluating an effort like the Regional Health Care Initiative is somewhat difficult, said Scott Lakin, the initiative’s director.
For example, he said, it would be hard to quantify how many people did not get sick thanks to the efforts of the initiative.
As for the overall report, Lakin said, “We are going to take it and work not only with HMA and the foundations, but the stakeholders to continue to move forward to do what we are supposed to do, and that’s increase access and improve the quality of care.”
More hours at clinics
Among the successes noted by safety-net officials and included in the report:
• There were more weekend and evening hours at the clinics.
• A curriculum was established for training community health workers, specialists that help safety-net patients navigate the healthcare system
• There was enhanced training for dental assistants to expand access to oral health services
Participants in the initiative also noted that bringing together administrators from various organizations involved in it had established a rapport that did not exist before, said Sarah Jagger, a senior consultant with HMA.
“I think what has been pointed to by the majority of the people we interviewed – the most important thing that they can attribute to the RHCI is that there has been a foundation of trust built,” she said.
Jagger said the initiative also apparently had forged some cooperation among providers that might have considered themselves competitors in the past.
“So, they brought those stakeholders around the table and started having discussions about how we can move the system forward,” she said.
JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Snowplow drivers with the Missouri Department of Transportation have been busy this winter season, and the weekend forecast means they’ll be at it again as more winter weather moves through the state.
Light freezing drizzle or light snow will move through portions of the state today and through Saturday. Beginning Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday, heavy snow, ranging from 6-10 inches, is expected in the northern half of the state and accumulating ice is predicted for the southern half of Missouri. MoDOT crews are prepared with plenty of salt and materials and will be out in force to plow and treat state roadways throughout the storm.
MoDOT reminds motorists that any amount of snow or ice can make roads slick, and this storm will be no exception. Postponing your travel plans and staying off the roads is the safest option. If you must travel, be prepared and extra cautious. When temperatures are this cold, getting stranded on the side of the road can be very dangerous. Find detailed winter driving tips at MoDOT’s Winter Driving Tips webpage.
MoDOT’s online Traveler Information Map, at www.modot.org, is continuously updated throughout winter weather to show whether major roads are clear, partly covered, or completely covered with snow or ice. You can even download the map app to your smartphone or tablet for easier access to the map’s road conditions, traffic cameras and weather radar.
Two people were injured in a Friday crash on US 71, 7 miles north of St. Joseph.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported the accident occurred as a 2001 Ford Taurus driven by Blake A. Smith, 25 Maryville, was southbound in the driving lane and attempted to change lanes causing the vehicle to strike the rear of a 2013 Ford Escape driven by Raymond J. Amthor, 77, of Atchison, KS.
The Escape spun in a clockwise manor and overturned on the roadway, traveled off the road and came to rest on its side facing northwest. The Taurus came to a controlled stop on the right shoulder of the road.
Amthor and a passenger in the Escape Kathryn J. Amthor, 74 of Atchison were transported to Heartland Regional Medical Center.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pregnant women and mothers who get federal assistance with their grocery bills will now be able to buy more whole-grain foods, yogurt, fish, fruits and vegetables.
The changes to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, will go into place by 2015.
The Agriculture Department announced the changes Friday as the final part of a process it began in 2007 to overhaul WIC and expand the list of healthy foods offered. Changes announced that year and put in place in 2009 eliminated juice from infant food packages, reduced saturated fat and made buying fruits and vegetables easier.
USDA says that overhaul will now be complete with a few more items included, such as whole grain pastas, yogurt and additional types of canned fish.
U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is announcing her support for the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2014, continuing her fight to protect hunting and fishing rights and promoting increased access to more public lands for outdoor recreation.
